19th Century French Brass Bound Reliquary No 002

19th Century French Brass Bound Reliquary 002   Made from meerschaum, a soft white clay that was often used to carve religious works, this the second in a series of three reliquaries and features The Virgin Mary and Child. Throughout history these small, handheld images of saints and most commonly the Holy Mother were a way to connect to the divine. Like the others in this series it is floated in a custom made, stacked series of hand painted mats.  The frame is hand gilded wood from Italy featuring a lovely concave, sloped design. Under glass.   Measures 23.25” x 21.25” x 3” Dimension of relief is 3’’